Getting mortar off of old bricks

[xtine]

Could anyone recommend any easy and environmentally friendly way to get mortar off of bricks? I want to make some brick pathways, and friends have given me bricks, but they've still got lots of mortar on them. I tried soaking them in water and chipping it off, but it's a lot of work, and I'm breaking a lot of bricks. Any ideas greatly appreciated!!

[flower_child]

Have you tried a power washer? My husband has used ours to clean up some stray cement we dropped while pouring a foundation! It worked for us!

[LARRYR]

The only way I know is labor intensive using masonary chisels and hammers. You might try posting your inquiry
in the Home Improvements thread of www.augusthome.com

[KimmSr]

Cured mortar is difficult to remove in any other way but chipping it off with hammer and chisel. Once in a great while you might get lucky and find some that did not cure properly and something like a pressure washer will take it off, but mortar is supposed to bond with the brick so they will be one unit, and when that happens it is tough to seperate them.

[xtine]

Thanks everyone for your advice!